Sprayer attachment



April 2l, 19.64 soNlA BoRls NEE JoKELsoN 3,129,855

SPRAYER ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. l2, 1952 United States Patent 3,129,856 SPRAYER ATTACHMENT Sonia Boris, nee .lokelsom Paris, France, assignor to Societe Technique de Pulverisation (par abrviation S.'I`.E.P.), Boulogne-snr-Seine, France, a French company Filed Feb. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 172,632 Claims priority, application France Feb. 11, 1961 Claims. (Cl. 222-399) This invention relates to sprayer assemblies of the type that are attachable to a container of liquid to be sprayed over a mouth opening of the container, and when thus attached are operable, as with a push-button, to discharge a spray of the liquid from a spray nozzle of the assembly.

More especially, a sprayer assembly of the kind to which the invention relates has a store of pressure gas, e.g. air, connected thereto. Means are provided whereby operation of the push-button or other manual control simultaneously establishes a gas owpath from said gas store to the interior of the liquid container so as to apply a gas pressure to the free surface of said liquid, and establishes a liquid owpath from the interior of the body of liquid in the container to the spray nozzle; hence operation of said push-button or the like results in a discharge of liquid from the spray nozzle due to the action of the gas pressure on the store of liquid.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved sprayer assembly or attachment of this general kind, in which construction is simplified, and operation simultaneously made more reliable. A more specic object is to provide means in such a sprayer assembly whereby actuation of the manual control, eg. button, will only be required to establish the above-mentioned liquid flowpath, while the gas ilowpath is automatically and permanently established on attachment of the sprayer assembly to a container.

According to the invention there is provided a sprayer assembly for attachment to a liquid container said assembly comprising a reservoir containing a store of gas under pressure; a spray outlet nozzle; means defining a gas owpath from a point of said reservoir within said store of gas to a point of said container above a store of liquid contained therein, and means deining a liquid flowpath from a point of said container within the store of liquid to said spray nozzle; first means sealing said gas flowpath and second means sealing said liquid flowpath; means automatically actuable on attachment of the assembly to a container for disabling said rst sealing means to establish said gas ilowpath thereby to apply gas pressure to said store 'of liquid, and means manually actuable for disabling said second sealing means to establish said liquid flowpath thereby to discharge a spray of liquid from the nozzle under the action of said gas pressure.

In a preferred form of embodiment, the means for sealing the gas flowpath comprise a valve including a valve head, means such as a spring normally biasing the valve head into sealing engagement with a valve seat, and a stem extending from said valve head for actuation by an upper surface of a container neck on attachment of the sprayer assembly to the latter so as then to displace the valve head from said valve seat and thereby establish permanently said gas owpath.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be 3,129,856 Patented Apr. 2l, 1964 ICC described for purposes of illustration but not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross sectional View of a liquid container, such as a flask or phial, having a sprayer attachment according to the invention screwed over the neck of it;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the sprayer attachment of FIG. l partly broken away, also showing the neck portion of the container on which it is attached, the View being taken on line II-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a generally similar view to FIG. 2 but showing the sprayer attachment of the invention separate from the container, e.g. prior to attachment thereto.

The sprayer attachment of the invention is shown as comprising a sleeve or skirt 1 closed at its upper end and having a generally cylindrical body or plug member 2, conveniently made of a plastic, press-tted therein. The body member 2 has a screw-threaded recess 2a formed in its lower end to enable the attachment to be screwed over the complementarily-threaded neck 3 of a ask 4 containing a liquid to be sprayed. Interposed between the adjacent surfaces of body member 2 and the top surface of the neck 3 is an annular seal 5 which in addition to its sealing function serves as a spacer for a purpose later described. Extending upwardly from the center of the top wall of sleeve member 1 is an externally threaded boss 1a around which a tank or reservoir 6 of pressure gas, eg. air, can be screwed by way of a threaded recess in the bottom Wall of the tank.

Attached to a side of the sprayer assembly by threaded engagement with a tapped aperture formed through the Wall of the skirt portion thereof and into the body member 2, is a nozzle 7 (see FIG. 2). Also formed through the member 2 and a wall of the skirt portion ofthe assembly in a direction at right angles to the axis of the nozzle 7, is a bore 11 having a frustoco-nical intermediate portion interconnecting a smaller and a larger-diameter cylindrical portion, as willl be apparent from FIG. l. Slidably mounted in this bore is a push-button member 12 which has a main part slidably fitting the smallerdiameter part of the bore 11 and a frustoconical rear end part 12a tting into the frustoconical part of said bore. A compression spring 13 seated in the largerdiameter part of the bore 11 serves to bias the pushbutton member 12 to a projected position in which the rustoconical part 12a is abuttingly seated against the frustoconical part of the bore 11. A duct 8 (FIG. 2) formed through body or plug member 2 in axial alignment with the nozzle 7 connects the nozzle with the intermediate frustoconical part of the bore 11.

A dipper tube 10 has its upper end secured around a boss projecting from the center of the under side of the body member 2 and extends down into the ask 4 to a point near the bottom of it. A duct 9 formed through the center of the boss just referred to connects the interior of the dipper tube 10 with the intermediate frustoconical part of the bore 11. Thus it will be noted that in the normal projected position of the push-button member 12, its frustoconical part 12aserves to seal off the communication between the bores 8 and 9, i.e. between the interior of the body or liquid in ask 4 and the spray nozzle 7, while on depression of the push-button 12, as by finger pressure on its protruding end, the frustoconical sealing part 12a of the push-button member disengages the frustoconical wall of the bore 11 and thereby provides an annular gap through which the said ducts 8 and 9 communicate, to provide a path of discharge for the liquid contents of the flask from nozzle 7 in the form of a spray, as will be presently explained.

Means are provided for subjecting the free surface o the body of liquid in ask 4 to gas pressure from the tank 6 at all times after the sprayer assembly of the invention has been attached in position over the flask. As shown, the recessed bottom Wall of the gas reservoir or tank 6 carries a riser tube extending upward to a point near the top of the tank, and connecting in aligned relation with a vertical bore 14 formed through the center of the embossed top part of the sprayer head 1. The lower end of the bore 14 opens into a shallow recess 15 formed in a central area of the uppermost surface of the plug or body 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shallow recess 15 connects near one side of it with a valve chamber 16 formed in the body member Z. Chamber 16 at its bottom connects by way of a frustoconical valve seat with a vertical duct 17 formed through the plug member 2, and opening at its lower end within the gap delined between the under surface of the body member 2 and the top surface of the ask owing to the insertion of the annular spacer seal 5. Thus, with the arrangement as so far described, a continuous flowpath for gas is seen to be provided from the interior of gas tank or reservoir 6 to the space within the annular seal 5, the llowpath including the riser tube in the tank, duct 14, shallow recess 15, valve chamber 16 and duct 17. From the space within the annular seal 5, a communication exists with the interior of the flask 4 by way of an annular gap clearance present between the outer surface of dipper tube 10 and inner surface of neck 3.

Positioned in the valve chamber 16 is a valve 18 having a head cngageable with the frustoconical valve seat formed in said chamber and having a stem 20 extending downwardly through the duct 17. A small spring 19 between the valve head 18 and the upper inner surface of sleeve 1 urges the valve into engagement with the seat.

Reefrring to FIG, 3, which shows the sprayer head assembly of the invention in separate condition e.g. prior to being screwed on to a flask of liquid, it will be noted that valve 13 is seated by the action of spring 19, thereby cutting oit the gas owpath above described and thereby prevents the escape of gas out of the tank 6.

However the dimensioning of the parts, including especially the length of valve stem 20, is so predetermined that as the sprayer assembly is screwed home over the neck 3 of the ask by way of the cooperating screw threads at 2a, the upper surface of the neck 3 of the flask forces the stem of valve 26 upwards against the action of spring 19, thereby completing the above mentioned gas flowpath and allowing the gas pressure from the reservoir 6 to act upon the free surface of the liquid in flask 4. This condition of permanent gas pressure in the flask will be maintained so long as the sprayer assembly remains in its screwed-home condition, or so long as the gas pressure in the reservoir 6 has not been exhausted.

Thus, with the sprayer assembly of the invention in position upon a container of liquid, iinger pressure applied to the push button 12 will establish a liquid flowpath through duct 8, bore 11 and duct 9 from the bottom of the flask to the sprayer nozzle. And since gas pressure is continually acting on the free surface of the liquid in the flask, such gas pressure will force liquid in a spray out of the sprayer nozzle 7 so long as button 12 is depressed.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the single embodiment illustrated and described without exceeding the scope of the invention. For instance the construction of the spray nozzle used may be altered from that shown at 7. The means moving the valve 18 to its sealing position may include gravity or the gas. pressure itself, rather than the spring shown.

What I claim is:

1. A sprayer assembly for attachment to a liquid container having a neck extending around a discharge opening, said sprayer assembly comprising a body having a recess with a side wall surface diametrically dimensioned to lit over the container neck for attaching said body to the container;

a pressure gas reservoir connected to said body;

a clipper tube secured to said body centrally within said recess and projecting axially from the latter to extend into the container through the discharge opening of the latter upon reception of the container neck in said recess, said dipper tube having an outer diameter substantially smaller than the diametrical dimension of said recess so as to provide a radial clearance between said clipper tube and the container neck when the clipper tube extends through the discharge open- 111g;

a spray outlet nozzle opening outwardly of said body;

said body having passage deiining means connecting said nozzle with said clipper tube;

manually operable Valve means interposed in said passage deiining means and controlling the ilow of iiuid through the latter;

additional passage defining meansl in said body extending from said reservoir and opening axially in said recess at an eccentric location spaced radially outward from said dipper tube and adjacent said side wall surface of the recess so as to communicate with the interior of the container through the discharge opening of the latter upon reception of the container neck in said recess, said additional passage defining means having a seat therein facing generally axially away from said recess; and

additional valve means spring urged against said seat so as to normally seal said additional passage defining means and including a valve stem projecting axially from said opening of the additional passage defining means into said recess when said additional Valve means engages said seat and being engaged, and axially displaced by the container neck upon reception of the latter in said recess thereby to automatically unseat said additional valve means and permit the escape of gas from said reservoir into the container.

2. A sprayer assembly as in claim 1; further comprising a sealing ring in said recess disposed radially outward with respect to the opening of said additional passage deining means in the recess to engage the container neck and prevent blocking by the latter of said opening of the additional passage defining means.

3. The combination of a liquid container having an opening with a generally cylindrical neck extending around said opening; and

a sprayer assembly comprising a body having a generally cylindrical recess opening at the bottom thereof and receiving said neck to secure said assembly on said container, a pressure gas reservoir connected to said body, a dipper tube secured to said body centrally Within said recess and projecting axially from the latter through said opening into the container, said dipper tube having an outer diameter substantially smaller than the inner diameter of said neck to provide clearance therebetween, a spray outlet nozzle opening outwardly of said body, said body having first passage means connecting said nozzle with said dipper tube, first manually operable valve means interposed in said first passage means and controlling the flow of fluid through the latter, said body further having second passage means extending from said passage and terminating in an axial opening at the top of said recess which is spaced radially from the center of the latter by a distance lying between the inner and outer radii of said neck, said second passage means having a seat therein facing generally in 5 6 the axial direction away from said neck, second valve opening of the second passage means to prevent blocking means in said second passage means engageable with of the latter by the container neck. said seat, a valve stem extending from said second valve means through said axial opening of the sec- References Cited Il h file 0f this Patent ond passage means and engaging said neck to hold 5 UNITED ST ATES PATENTS said second valve means away from said seat, thereby to permit the escape of gas from said reservoir lymtn geg", 221 into said container, and spring means urging said sec- 2 017664 Lc.m1 Oct 15 1935 ond valve means against said seat to prevent the 2774521 Cenish D 18 1956 escape of gas from said reservoir upon separation of 10 relg t0n ec' said sprayer assembly from said container. FOREIGN PATENTS 4. The combination as in claim 3; wherein said recess 218,772 Austria Dec. 27y 1961 JK has a sealing ring therein between said neck and said top of the recess and spaced radially outward relative to said 

1. A SPRAYER ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHMENT TO A LIQUID CONTAINER HAVING A NECK EXTENDING AROUND A DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID SPRAYER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A RECESS WITH A SIDE WALL SURFACE DIAMETRICALLY DIMENSIONED TO FIT OVER THE CONTAINER NECK FOR ATTACHING SAID BODY TO THE CONTAINER; A PRESSURE GAS RESERVOIR CONNECTED TO SAID BODY; A DIPPER TUBE SECURED TO SAID BODY CENTRALLY WITHIN SAID RECESS AND PROJECTING AXIALLY FROM THE LATTER TO EXTEND INTO THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF THE LATTER UPON RECEPTION OF THE CONTAINER NECK IN SAID RECESS, SAID DIPPER TUBE HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETRICAL DIMENSION OF SAID RECESS SO AS TO PROVIDE A RADIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID DIPPER TUBE AND THE CONTAINER NECK WHEN THE DIPPER TUBE EXTENDS THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING; A SPRAY OUTLET NOZZLE OPENING OUTWARDLY OF SAID BODY; SAID BODY HAVING PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS CONNECTING SAID NOZZLE WITH SAID DIPPER TUBE; MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE LATTER; ADDITIONAL PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS IN SAID BODY EXTENDING FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND OPENING AXIALLY IN SAID RECESS AT AN ECCENTRIC LOCATION SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID DIPPER TUBE AND ADJACENT SAID SIDE WALL SURFACE OF THE RECESS SO AS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF THE LATTER UPON RECEPTION OF THE CONTAINER NECK IN SAID RECESS, SAID ADDITIONAL PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS HAVING A SEAT THEREIN FACING GENERALLY AXIALLY AWAY FROM SAID RECESS; AND ADDITIONAL VALVE MEANS SPRING URGED AGAINST SAID SEAT SO AS TO NORMALLY SEAL SAID ADDITIONAL PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS AND INCLUDING A VALVE STEM PROJECTING AXIALLY FROM SAID OPENING OF THE ADDITIONAL PASSAGE DEFINING MEANS INTO SAID RECESS WHEN SAID ADDITIONAL VALVE MEANS ENGAGES SAID SEAT AND BEING ENGAGED, AND AXIALLY DISPLACED BY THE CONTAINER NECK UPON RECEPTION OF THE LATTER IN SAID RECESS THEREBY TO AUTOMATICALLY UNSEAT SAID ADDITIONAL VALVE MEANS AND PERMIT THE ESCAPE OF GAS FROM SAID RESERVOIR INTO THE CONTAINER. 